This invention relates to guards, especially to routers for use in machining centres.
A machining centre usually comprises a work table on which a processing tool, for example, a router or milling cutter, moves along three Cartesian axes. The centre may be controlled by a computer, e.g. a personal computer, in which must be first installed a processing program. A vertical guide supports a first carriage which runs along the guide by means of a first motor. The tool is fixed to the first carriage. The vertical guide is supported by a second carriage, running by means of a second motor along a first horizontal guide which is supported at one end by a third carriage running by means of a third motor along a second horizontal guide. The second horizontal guide is arranged at a right angle to the first horizontal guide, and the support moves along the three Cartesian axes over the horizontal work table. The three motors are connected to the computer, which may be integrated in the machine and may comprise a microprocessor sending to the motors signals for movement by reading position and movement data from memories connected thereto.
In stationery machinery, such as the type to which the present invention relates, or indeed any milling tool, it may be provided with guarding in order to protect operators from inadvertently contacting the tool bit and possibly injuring themselves.
Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a router for a machine center with guarding.